According to documents, the Muromachi-era castle of Ne-jō was first established in 1334 by local daimyō Nambu Moroyuki. The castle was abandoned in the early Edo-era (1627) and the grounds basically left alone until they were declared a national historic site in 1941. Excavations at the site began in 1978, with reconstruction of the castle structures commencing in 1985. At the center of the site lies the former palace building (pictured), with rebuilt structures such as living quarters, storerooms, a guardhouse and stables surrounding it. The park now lies in the western suburbs of Hachinohe in Aomori-ken, maintained as a protected historical site.